Racing game apparatuses



May 3, 1955 -r 2,707,637

RACING GAME APPARATU$ES Filed Oct. 29, 1951 2 Shee tS-Sheet l a A a BYawk w 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L. A. DURANT RACING GAME APPARATUSES v mm May 3,1955 Filed 001;. 29, .1951

United States Patent RACING GAME APPARATUSES Lyndon A. l )urant,Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Patent Corporation, Chicago, 11]., acorporation of Illinois Application October 29, 1951, Serial No. 253,621

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-86) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in racing game apparatuses in which a plurality ofsimulated horses are advanced independently step by step along pathsarranged in parallel relation with respect to each other, there beingone horse for each path. The principal object of the invention residesin the provision of a simple, effective and economical arrangement foradvancing the simulated horses step by step along the parallel paths,the arrangement permitting the employment of a well-known type ofstep-up mechanism.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the amusementgame apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an advancing drum;

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration showing the driving belts for therespective pulleys of the advancing means;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 4-4 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carriage for supportingthe simulated horse.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which I have shown thepreferred form of construction of my invention, 10 indicates ahorizontally arranged panel which is provided with a plurality of slots11 arranged in equal spaced parallel relation with respect to each otherand extending lengthwise of the panel 10.

Projecting upwardly through these slots are stems 12, at the upper endsof which are carried simulated horses 13 preferably in running posture.

The stems 12 are attached as at 14 to carriages 15. Each carriage 15 issubstantially U-shaped to provide a substantially horizontal bightportion 15 from which extends a relatively short leg 16 and a relativelylong leg 17. The legs 16 and 17 are each provided with an opening 18,with the opening 18 of the leg 17 in alignment with the opening 18 ofthe leg 16. The leg 17 below the opening 18 is provided with arectangular slot 19.

Through the openings 18 of the legs 16 and 17 extends a supporting rod20, one end of which is connected as at 21 to a mounting plate 22secured as at 23 to the mounting panel 10. The opposite end portion ofthe rod is connected as at 24 to a mounting plate 25 similar to themounting plate 22 and, like the mounting plate 22, connected as at 26 tothe panel 10.

Below and in parallel relation to the supporting rod 20 is a guide rod27 extending through the slot 19 and having its opposite end portionsconnected as at 28 to the mounting plates 22 and 25. These mountingplates 22 and 25 each provide parallel arms 29 and 29'. nalled in thesearms 29 and 29' are the ends of shafts Jour- 'ice 30 extending inparallel relation with respect to each other.

The mounting panel 10 is supported by spaced opposite vertical walls,one of which is shown at 36 (Fig. 5). The illustrated wall 36 carries aplurality of advancing units 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41, offset laterallywith respect to each other and with respect to the board so as not toobstruct the movement of operating cables or cords hereinafter referredto. Each of these units is of substantially similar construction and iswell-known in the art and has a construction similar to that disclosedin application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 752,234,filed June 3, 1947, now Patent No. 2,618,719.

Each of these units, as shown, includes a ratchet Wheel 42 mounted on ashaft 43 and adapted to be engaged by a step-up pawl 44 actuated by asolenoid 45 each time a switch 46 is closed. The switch 46 is likewiseof a well-known construction and of a type used in marble pin games andadapted to be closed by a game piece, such as for example, a puck or aball rolling thereover on a playing surface (not shown). Each unitfurther includes a holding or resetting pawl 47 actuated by a solenoid48 upon the closing of a resetting switch 49. This pawl 47, as shown inthe afore-mentioned application for Letters Patent, has an extension 47'which engages the pawl 44 whereby to release the latter from the ratchetwheel 42 to permit resetting of the same to starting position. On theshaft 43 of each unit is mounted a drum 50 (Fig. 2).

To the carriages 15 are attached as 'at 51 the corresponding endportions of driving cords or cables 52. These cords 52 pass over thepulleys 31 to 35 inclusive and over idle pulleys 53 mounted adjacent thedrums 50 in the manner shown schematically in Fig. 3. The opposite endsof these cords or cables 52 are each attached as at 55 to a spring 56having its opposite end portion attached as at 57 to the adjacent leg 17of the carriage 15. These springs serve to maintain the cables or cords52 taut and in close-fitting engagement with their respective pulleys 53and drums 50.

While I have shown in the drawings five carriages and means forindependently advancing step by step and returning the carriages fromand to starting position, it is to be understood that any number ofcarriages with simulated horses thereon may be employed.

By the arrangement herein described, when any one of the advancingsolenoids 45 is energized by the closing of a ball-actuated switch, theratchet wheel of the unit including the energized solenoid, will beadvanced one step or a distance equivalent to the pivotal movement ofthe pawl 44. The advancement of the ratchet Wheel of such unit will inturn rotate the drum thereof an equal distance, with the result that thecarriage 15 actuated by such drum will, with its simulated horse, beadvanced an equivalent distance along its supporting rod 20. By thisarrangement an interesting amusement game is provided whereby theplayers of the game will attempt to advance a particular horse over theremaining horses, and the horse which arrives at the finish line firstwill, of course, be proclaimed the winner.

One of the advantages of my invention as herein described is found inthe fact that in building the apparatus there can be utilized thewell-known step-up and resetting unit or mechanism which, whenincorporated as a part of the combination of the apparatus, will providean apparatus which can be manufactured at an economical cost.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, there fore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a step-up andresetting mechanism including a grooved drum operatively connected tosaid mechanism so as to be stepped up or reset thereby, a supporting rodhaving its extremities connected to said apparatus, a carriage carriedby and movable along said rod, a guide rod below and in spaced parallelrelation to said supporting rod and adapted to guide said carriage whenit moves along said supporting rod, means operatively connecting saiddrum and said carriage, said connecting means including a plurality ofguide pulleys, a flexible cable in vertical alignment below saidsupporting rod and said guide rod and extending around said pulleys andover said drum, and means for connecting opposite end portions of saidcable to said carriage, said last-mentioned means including a springmember having one end connected to one end of said cable and theopposite end connected to said carriage.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a step-up andresetting mechanism including a grooved drum operatively connected tosaid mechanism so as to be stepped up or reset thereby, a supporting rodhaving its extremities connected to said apparatus, a carriage carriedby and movable along said rod, a guide rod below and in spaced parallelrelation to said supporting rod and adapted to guide said carriage whenit moves along said supporting rod, means operatively connecting saiddrum and said carriage, said connecting means including a plurality ofguide pulleys above and in spaced relation to said grooved drum, aflexible cable in vertical alignment below said supporting rod and saidguide rod and extending around said pulleys and over said drum, andmeans for connecting opposite end portions of said cable to saidcarriage, said last-mentioned means including a spring member having oneend connected to one end of said cable and the opposite end connected toone depending end portion of said carriage, a supporting stem carried bysaid carriage and extending in an opposite direction to said dependingend portions, and a simulated animal carried by said stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS457,037 Vint et al. Aug. 3, 1891 593,413 Cawdery Nov. 9, 1897 721,631Brown Feb. 24, 1903 1,203,852 Clorius Nov. 7, 1916 2,098,406 Slezak Nov.9, 1937 2,230,563 Garms et al. Feb. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,529Australia July 26, 1927 626,665 Germany Feb. 29, 1936

